Picker stick check



y 1951 H. FROHMAN PICKER STICK CHECK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1949 INVENTOR. H420 EeoHMA/v.

ATTOE/VEY May 1, 1951 H. FROHMAN PICKER STICK CHECK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1949 INVENTOR: fi/wley FkoH A/Y Arme/vfy Patented M y 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,550,798 PIcKER STICK CHECK Harry Frohman, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application May 21,1949, Serial No. 94,640 3 Claims. (01. 139-168) picker stick engaged the strap had to be vsubv stantially reinforced in order to prolong the life of this type of picker stick check and it also had not been satisfactory in other ways and therefore attempts have been made to eliminate entirely the need of a strap of this type.

One type of picker stick check designed to eliminate the need of a leatheror fabric strap is shown in the patent to Miller et al., Number 2,146,973 of February 4, 1938, which comprises a block or plate frictionally secured to the shuttle box of the loom and having projections extending therefrom into the path of travel of the picker stick, one of the said projections being engageable by the picker stick on its backward stroke and the other being engageable by the ward stroke of the stick, serves to restore the frictionally mounted block to normal position so the other projection will be properly positioned for the next backward stroke of the picker stick.

Although the frictionally mounted block type of. picker stick check has proved somewhat advantageous over the check strap, it has not proven entirely satisfactory, however, due to its limited range of adjustment and due to the fact that the friction means, comprising leather disks engaging opposite sides of the block, would wear out in a relatively short length of time, or would become glazed to where there would either be no friction at all between the block and its friction means or the friction means would have to be tightened against the block to such an extent that it would not be practical for smooth operation as a checking means upon the backward stroke of the picker stick. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a picker stick check for looms comprising a block or platehaving a pair of projections extending outwardly therefrom, one of said projections being engageable by the stick upon its backward stroke to absorb the shuttle imupon the forward stroke of the picker stick to restore the black to normal position and to further provide spring means between the block and the shuttle box of the loom, to which the block is connected, and relatively adjustable friction means engaging the lower surface of said block remote from the spring means to thus provide for an accurate degree of tension or friction placed upon theblock to obtain an optimum smoothness of operation of the picker stick as it moves into and out of engagement with the projections in said block. I

\ It is another object of this invention to provide a picker stick check for looms comprising a block having a pair of projections extending outwardly therefrom for alternate engagement by the picker stick and to provide means for resiliently mounting the block on the lay of the loom comprising a bracket secured to the lay and to the lower surface of which a circular threaded sleeve is adapted to be secured, the threaded sleeve having a thrust bearing thereon engageable by the upper ends of compression springs, the lower ends of the compression springs being adapted to engage the upper surface of said block. The blocks is provided with a bore in which a threaded shaft is rotatably mounted,this threaded shaft being threaded into the said circular. threaded sleeve at its upper end and having a flange on it lower end for engaging a friction disk on the bottom of said block and by adjusting thethreaded shaft in the threaded sleeve, the amount of friction exerted against the lower surface of the block may be accurately determined.

Some of the objects of this invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of one of the shuttle boxes of a loom showing the invention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the lower side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the improved picker stick check but omitting the bracket by which it is secured to the lay of the loom;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line 44 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 55 in Figure 2, but showing the picker stick and the blockat the termination of the backward stroke of the picker pact and the other. projection being engageable 5; stick;

Figure '6 is a plan view with the threaded shaft in section and is taken along the line 66 in Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l indicates one end of a conventional loom lay, to the upper surface of which a conventional shuttle box lay plate I l is secured. Secured to the upper surface of the lay plate H is a shuttle :box front 12. A bolt l3 pivotally secures a pivoted binder M to the lay It, the face of the binder 14 being substantially parallel to the face of the box front :2.

The lay l0 and the lay plate II are provided with coinciding longitudinally extending slots 15 through which a conventional picker stick it extends, the picker stick l being adapted to oscillate, in a conventional manner, back and forth in the slots l5 and between the shuttle box front 12 and the pivoted binder M. It will be noted that .the .upper end of .the picker stick is .in ,Figure..2is provided with a conventional picker 1.! and, in Figure 1, it will be noted that this picker l! is adapted to oscillate'between the box front 12 and the pivoted binder I l. The other parts associated with the lay at the righthand side thereof in Figures 1 and 2 are usual partsof .a loom and are not pertinent to the present invention and therefore afurther description of the same is deemed unnecessary.

;In .order to secure the picker stick check, to be presently described, to the lay of the loom and to {also provide for lateral adjustment of the pickerstick check, abracket 26 (Figure .5) is providedhaving elongated spaced slots 2! and .22 therein which are disposed in longitudinal alinement with each other and the bracket 28 also has -.an elongated slot 23 therein disposed in off-set relation .to the slots 2| and 22. This bracket 20 .(Eigures 1, 2, 4 and ,5) also has a downwardly projecting portion 24 which is disposedatan angle relative to the horizontal longitudinalaxis of the bracket .ZlLfor purposes to be later described.

When the bracket 20 is secured to the lower side of the lay 1.0 .as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4., the slot 2| is adapted to be loosely penetrated by the .bolt I3 and a bolt ,25 loosely penetrates .the adjustment slot 22 to further assist in securing the bracket ,20 to the bottom .of the lay I3. There maybe instances, of course, when the bolt I3 on which the binder M is pivoted may not be positioned properly for alinement with the adjustment slot 2i in the bracket 25 in which event a separate bolt may be used.

The upper surface of an enlarged annular portion 30 .of an internally threaded sleeve 3!, in Figure l, engages the lower surface of the bracket 20 and has projections 32 on the upper end thereof which are adapted to .be slidably inserted in the slot 23 of the bracket .20 to thus prevent rotation of the sleeve 3| relative to the bracket 28. This sleeve 3i is provided with .a threaded bore 34 in which the upper portion of a threaded shaft 35 is mounted. This threaded shaft 35 has a restricted threaded portion 36 extending upwardly therefrom which loosely penetrates the slot 23 in the bracket 25 and also extends upwardly between the projections 32 on the sleeve 3| and has a washer 30 loosely mounted thereon. The lower surface of the Washer 45] engages the upper surface of the bracket 2.3 and is fixed thereagainst by a nut 4| threadably mounted on the restricted threaded portion 36 of the shaft 35 and it is thus seen that the internally threaded sleeve 3| is also held in engagement. with the lower surface of the bracket '25 by the threaded shaft 35 and the nut ti on the restricted threaded portion 36 of the shaft 35. It will be noted in Figure 1 that the bracket 20 extends a substantial distance outwardly with respect to the lay it so as to permit access to the nut H for tightening the nut H on the restricted threaded portion 35 of the threaded shaft 35.

The threaded shaft 35 extends downwardly in Figure 4 and has a restricted portion 52 having left-hand threads cut in its periphery and on which a disk 43, preferably of metal, is thread- .ably mounted. This disk 43 is locked on the portion 42, as by a screw 45, the threaded shaft '35 having a threaded bore 45 therein for reception of the screw 44. The head of this screw 45 is welded as at 53 (Figure 4) to the disk 4% for rotating the disk 43 along with the threaded shaft 35 and to thereby adjust the threaded shaft 35 in the .threadedbore 34 inthe sleeve 3| for adjusting the pressure on compression springs to be later described. It is obvious that, in order to adjust the threaded shaft 35 in the threaded bore 34, it will first be necessary to loosen the nut 4| on the restricted threaded portion 36 of the shaft 35. The screw 44 and the bore 45 are provided with right-hand threads, and it is thus seen that the left-hand threads on the restricted portion 42 will lock the disk 43 on the restrictedportion 42 when a wrench is applied to thehead of screw 44 for turning the shaft 35 in one direction, and the right-hand threads on the screw M will lock the disk on the restricted por tion d2 of shaft 35 when a wrench is applied to the .head of screw for turning the shaft 35 in the other direction. In other words, when the screw 4'4 is welded to the disk 43, the threads of screw M and portion 42 work against each other.

If so desired, the disk 43 may be an integral part .of the threaded shaft 35, the present showing being an expedient to manufacture of the apparatus as heretofore disclosed. The lower portion of :the threaded shaft 35 slidably pene trates a bushing or friction bearing 56 pressed into a plate broadly designated at 5!, to thereby permit oscillation of the block 51 on the threaded shaft 35.

This plate 51 is provided with a shallow circular cavity 53 at its lower surface in Figure 4 and a suitable friction lining 54 such as leather, pressed fiber, and the like, is adhesively secured to the bottom of the circular cavity 53 and is loosely penetrated by the lower end of the threaded shaft 35. The upper surface of the disk 43 in Figure 4 is adapted to frictionally engage the lower surface of the friction material 54 andis loosely mounted in the circular cavity 53.

The end of the plate 5| remote from the slot l5 in the lay I5 is preferably semi-circular as at 56 and the other end of the plate 5| has spaced projections 51 and 58, the projection 51 being substantially longer than the projection 58. It will be noted in Figures 1, 3 and 5 that the projection 58 is preferably semi-circular at its outer end while the projection 51 may be of any desired shape, however, in any event the proximate walls or sides of the projections 51 and 58 should be substantially parallel to each other.

Secured as by screws 3| to the plate Si is a suitable wearing material such as a leather strip 62. This leather strip 62 is adapted to be engaged by the picker stick it as it moves into the notch defined by the projections 51 and 58 and it will be noted in Figures 1, 3 and 5 that the-leather strip 62. extends a substantial distance from the projection 58 towards the curved end 56 of the plate This portion of the leather strip 62 is provided to prevent the plate 5| from being rotated too far in a clockwise direction in Figures 1 and 5 as the picker stick l6 moves from left to right in Figure 1, or upon a forward stroke of the picker stick l6, inasmuch as this portion of the leather strap 62 will engage the inner surface of the downwardly projecting portion 24 of the bracket 20 thus limiting movement of the block 5|.

Referring to Figures 4 and 6 it may be observed that the upper surface of the plate 5! is provided with a plurality of bores 65, the depth of which is approximately one-half the'thick ness of the plate 5|. Each of these bores 65 preferbly has a cup-shaped member 66 therein in which the lower end of a compression spring 61 is loosely mounted. The upper ends of the compression springs t? are adapted to engage the lower race ll! of a conventional ball thrust bearing broadly designated at H. I

This lower race I0 is loosely penetrated by the lower portion of the sleeve 3! and has a plu rality of balls 12 engaging the upper surface thereof. These balls 12 also engage the lower surface of an upper race [3 of the thrust bearing H which fits snugly around the sleeve 3| and the upper surface of which is engaged by the lower surface of the enlarged annular portion 30 of the sleeve 3|. A conventional shield M is provided to hold together the upper and lower races 13 and 10, respectively, of the thrust bearing H, the shield 14 being snugly mounted on the upper race 13 and being adapted to permit free rotation of the lower race relative to the sleeve 3|.

If so desired, the bracket may be secured to the lay ID in the manner heretofore described and, before the loom checkis mounted on the bracket 20 a wrench may be applied to the head of the screw 44 and to the flattened sides of the projections 32 at the upper end of the sleeve 3| and thus the sleeve 3| may be tightened on the threaded shaft 35. This will, of course, urge the thrust bearing H downwardly in Figure 4 to thus partially compress the compression springs 61 and to thus create a greater friction between the plate or disk 43 and the friction material 54.

The restricted threaded portion 36 of the threaded shaft 35 and the flattened projections 32 may then be inserted in the slot 23 in the bracket 20 and then'the nut and washer 4!! and 4 I, respectively, may be mounted on the restricted threaded portion 36 to thus secure the loom check to the bracket 20. The loom may then be started in the usual manner to cause the picker stick to move into and out of engagement with the projections 5! and 58 on the plate 5| and, depending upon the manner in which the picker stick I6 responds to the action of the plate 5|, the amount of pressure on the compression springs 61 may then be adjusted to more accurately determine the optimum adjustment for most eflicient operation of the loom in the manner earlier described.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and {descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a picker stick check for looms, said picker stick being mounted for oscillation in a vertical plane, and said check comprising a plate mounted for oscillatory movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and having two spaced projections thereon extending into the path of travel of the picker stick, said loom having a lay, spring loaded means for frictionally securing the plate to the lay of the loom comprising a threaded shaft slidably penetrating the plate, a disk secured to the lower end of said threaded shaft, a friction material secured to the bottom of said plate and adapted tobe engaged by the upper surface of said disk, a threaded sleeve mounted on the threaded shaft and spaced a substantial distance above the upper surface of said plate, a ball thrust bearing mounted on the exterior of the threaded sleeve, a plurality of compression springs engaging the proximate sides of the plate and the ball thrust bearing and means for se-,- curing the threaded sleeve to the lay of the loom, whereby adjustment of the threaded sleeve on the threaded shaft will regulate the compression in the compression springs between the plate and the'thrust bearing to thus control the amount of frictional resistance to oscillation existing between the said disk and the friction material.

2. In a picker stick check for looms, said'picker stick being mounted for oscillation in a vertical plane, and said check comprising a plate mounted for oscillatory movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and having two spaced projections thereon extending into the path of travel of the picker stick, said loom having a lay,

spring loaded means for frictionally securing the plate to the lay of the loom comprising a threaded shaft slidably penetrating the plate, a disk secured to the lower end of said threaded shaft,

a friction material secured to the bottom of said plate and adapted to be engaged by the upper surfaceof said disk, a threaded sleeve'mounted on the threaded shaft and spaced a substantial distance above the upper surface of said plate, a ball thrust bearing mounted on the exterior of the threaded sleeve, a plurality of compression springs engaging the proximate sides of the plate and the ball thrust bearing and means for securing the threaded sleeve to the lay of the loom, whereby adjustment of the threaded sleeve on the threaded shaft will regulate the compression in the compression springs between the plate and p the thrust bearing to thus control the amount of frictional resistance to oscillation existing between the said disk and the friction material, said means for securing the threaded sleeve to the lay of the loom comprising a bracket having adjustment slots therein, some of the adjustment slots being adapted to be engaged by bolts for securing the bracket to the lay of the loom, said bracket extending partially beyond the side of the lay and having a slot in this partially extending portion, said sleeve having projections I thereon and which are adapted to be inserted within the slot, a restricted threaded portion extending a substantial distance above the projections on the sleeve and being integral with the threaded shaft and a nut secured on the upper end of the restricted threaded portion and engaging the upper surface of said bracket to thus secure the sleeve against the lower surface of said bracket.

3. In a picker stick check for looms, said picker stick being mounted for oscillation in a vertical 7 plane, and said check comprising a plate mounted for oscillatory movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and having two spaced projections thereon extending into the path of travel of the picker stick, said loom having a lay, spring loaded means for frictionally securing the plate to the lay of the loom comprising a threaded shaft slidably penetrating the plate, a disk secured to the lower end of said threaded shaft, a friction material secured to the bottom of said plate and adapted to be engaged by the upper surface of said disk, a threaded sleeve mounted on the threaded shaft and spaced a substantial distance above the upper surface of said plate, a ball thrust bearing mounted on the exterior of the threaded sleeve, a plurality of compression springs engaging the proximate sides of the plate and the ball thrust bearing and means for securing the threaded sleeve to the lay of the loom, whereby adjustment of the threaded sleeve on the threaded shaft will regulate the compression in the compression springs between the plate and the thrust bearing to thus control the amount of frictional resistance to oscillation existing between the said disk and the friction material, said means for securing the threaded sleeve to the lay of the loom comprising a bracket having adjustment slots therein, some of the adjustment slots being adapted to be engaged by bolts for securing the bracket to the lay of the loom, said bracket extending partially beyond the side of the lay and having a slot in this partially extending portion, said sleeve having projections thereon and which are adapted to be inserted within the slot, a restricted threaded portion extending a substantial distance above the projections on the sleeve and being integral with the threaded shaft and a nut secured on the upper end of the restricted threaded portion and engaging the upper surface of said bracket to thus secure the sleeve against the lower surface of said bracket, a downwardly projecting portion integral with said bracket and disposed at the edge of the bracket adjacent the picker stick and adapted to be engaged by the edge of the plate so when the picker stick is moved in a reverse direction, the plate will engage the downwardly projecting portion thus restricting its movement about its axis.

HARRY FROHMAN.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,678,268 Northrup July 24, 1928 2,146,973 Miller et a1. Feb. 14, 1939 

